Lying at an interview, now holding an offer.

(Original post by Surprises!)
I know somebody who lied about everything at their MMI interview, from their extra curricular activities to what they did and experienced and who they met at their work experience placements, and i'm not sure what to do about it.

I've known this for a week (she told me) and it's really bothering me. I truly believe that she doesn't deserve the offer because doctors should be honest and trustworthy, and lying about every minute detail about ones application,and getting away with it, is not, so I feel inclined to notify the admissions team and allow them deal with it (if). Should I?

P.S: I don't want any replies telling me that this isn't any of my business - it bothers me that she's lied about so much, and subsequently holds an offer. It's almost as if the interviewers met a mask instead of the person and I feel like she's snatched an offer away from other potential borderline applicants who may or may not have excelled at their interview.

There's only so much that you can lie about in an interview, most of it is just seeing what you are like as a person. Hell, if her lies can fool the interviewers, she probably knew what she was talking about, even if she hadn't actually done the things she said she did.

Part of being a doctor is being able to look as if you know what you're doing, something which she seems excellent at!

(Original post by Ronove)
Medical applications don't generally solely revolve around whatever bull**** you come out with at the interview stage. Have you not considered that maybe those people you know just didn't have applications as good as the applicants who got offers, or that they applied to schools which weren't the best idea for their strengths?

No, they hinge on the amount of work experience, contacts you have in medicine and how good you are at teamwork e.t.c once you reach interview. So say 2 people are the same but 1 has lied about being captain of sport teams and have done more work exp, then which one are they more likely to pick for a deeper teamwork? Yes the liar.

(Original post by mrshinyshoes)
There is a difference between white lies and lying throughout the interview. Personally if thats what you have to tell yourself to feel better about lying from a fictional tv show..

(Original post by examination)
I have a friend like this who lied about everything in her personal statement. She said she'd had work experience and is part of the city's netball team. Even worse, she's been getting her mum to do her folios and ever write her personal statement. Her gradess aren't even great and she complains about studying for even 1 hour. And she got 5 offers. 5.

It angers me so much because someone as unworthy as her is getting offers without even lifting a finger. My other best friend does sports, has arranged 3 weeks work experience by herself, works, studies 6 hours and has nothing but an A in her academic life. Yet, she didn't get into medicine at all. It makes my blood boil to know such shameless people. Wish I had the guts to report my friend to the authorities but I'm too cowardly to do that.

I agree with you here! Friends who deserve to get offers and have put the effort in have been left with none, whereas others who have been spoon fed come out with them,

however the whole system is messed up someone got an offer for medicine at cambridge but nowhere else..

Did the people who negged me get help by their parents?

Last edited by mrshinyshoes; 10-04-2012 at 09:04.
Reason: guilty negging

(Original post by Surprises!)
I know somebody who lied about everything at their MMI interview, from their extra curricular activities to what they did and experienced and who they met at their work experience placements, and i'm not sure what to do about it.

I've known this for a week (she told me) and it's really bothering me. I truly believe that she doesn't deserve the offer because doctors should be honest and trustworthy, and lying about every minute detail about ones application,and getting away with it, is not, so I feel inclined to notify the admissions team and allow them deal with it (if). Should I?

P.S: I don't want any replies telling me that this isn't any of my business - it bothers me that she's lied about so much, and subsequently holds an offer. It's almost as if the interviewers met a mask instead of the person and I feel like she's snatched an offer away from other potential borderline applicants who may or may not have excelled at their interview.

Perhaps make your friend aware of how you feel, because I don't think its right that she should lie and then get rewarded for it. And whilst what she has lied about may seem quite trivial or small, if she is going into a medicine (a profession built upon trust and honesty), she needs to be a little self-aware of what she does because this lie may lead onto something else bigger, and so on.

I told a lie to get a job working with children. They wanted someone who had experience working with children every week for a substantial amount of time. I know I'm really good with children and children enjoy playing with me too. I've had lots of experience but not for a proper service. I lied in the interview about my experience and got the job. Now they want me down there whenever they can get me. The council funding the service shut down and they needed a few staff out of the many they employed to stay on when someone else took over, I was chosen. Sometimes you've just got to do what you've got to do :P

To be honest, it's probably too late to help anyone else by ratting your friend out. There's no guarantee that anyone you'd help get a place was more honest than your friend either. You'd have to consider if it is really your place to compromise your friends future. Medicine is hard stuff, and she might not get in the next time. If you're cool with that then it strikes me as odd you are friends with her.

I dislike the angle everyone is taking this at though. Everybody lies? So it's fine that someone gets and offer alongside someone else who put genuine work in to develop themselves, get experience etc?
I guess as applicants we see this all as a game we are trying to play, but I think lying to the extent that you fabricate all your experiences is a bit messed up.

This could be an exaggeration though.

Edit: After re-reading, it seems like you aren't actually friends, how do you know your information is accurate?

Clearly, you are jealous. Medics have to be agressive and gunners when they're applying - the application process is like a flaming battlefield, you need to go in with your guns blazing. It's determination and focus that gets you to be that way - for those who aren't shining stars, that's just the way it works. Little, smart white lies gives you an edge. If someone is going to lie, then it's worse if they're a bad liar. If you can't beat them, join them.

(Original post by janet9)
Clearly, you are jealous. Medics have to be agressive and gunners when they're applying - the application process is like a flaming battlefield, you need to go in with your guns blazing. It's determination and focus that gets you to be that way - for those who aren't shining stars, that's just the way it works. Little, smart white lies gives you an edge. If someone is going to lie, then it's worse if they're a bad liar. If you can't beat them, join them.

It's sad that competition drives people to these lengths, especially given the profession we wish to pursue. It's odd how people are attacking someone for wanting to do what on the surface appears to be the right thing. Under what twisted moral code code is snitching worse than lying your way into medical school? Are you going to do the same thing when you qualify and you see misconduct in you peers or even your seniors?

(Original post by emclme)
I think it's a bit harsh to call her a bitch. So she exaggerated in an interview, truthfully I'm sure everyone does to some extent. If someone confronted me stating that they wanted to end our friendship because I lied in an interview, I'd have to laugh. It's not like she's completely lied, she must have impressive grades, an amazing personal statement and a really good reference. The fact she lied about a bit of work experience isn't that important, maybe she had reasons to, you don't know. Maybe she was too busy working hard for her A's to do work experience, she's probably going to do it later on anyway. Or maybe she planned the work experience but it was cancelled last minute. Either way, I think I'd be pissed off to hear that one of my friends phoned up the administrators just to get me kicked off the course, as opposed to hearing that my friend told a white lie in an interview. If anything, I'd probably be pleased for her.

Oh no, exaggeration is completely different to a blatant white lie. When you exaggerate, at least there is some truth to what you're saying regardless of how much truth is in there. What the OP has said is that she has lied. She has completely fabricated something that never happened, and that there is no truth to it.

I'm sure everyone who has applied for medicine is working hard for A's. It isn't a good enough excuse, in fact, that's a very bad excuse.

If she applied for work experience but it was cancelled, she could have well stated that. I'm sure admissions would have taken into account that she couldn't take part in work experience. But then again, EVERY medical student has taken part in work experience and if she can't find work experience, then why should she be considered?

I'd much rather have friends that tell me the truth, regardless of it being what I want to hear or not, than a person who is going to encourage me or accept that I've lied to get into something. I'm not happy for her. Why? Because it's unfair to the thousands of applicants who worked for their application and did everything the way it should be. Frankly, I don't think you would be happy if you applied for medicine with a legit application, got rejected, whilst she got an offer with bullsh*t lies.

I'm sorry, but if she doesn't even feel bad that she lied or recognizes that she's wrong, it seems like she's a self-indulgent, selfish, greedy bitch.

(Original post by rugbyladosc)
If you didn't get in, would it still not bother you?

If you didn't get in, it's your own doing for not being good enough. I know this a bit too well.

At the end of the day, when you apply. You're the one who takes the UKCAT, BMAT, GAMSAT or whatever. You're the one who goes to interview. You're the one who sits your final exams.

The OP said "I feel like she's snatched an offer away from other potential borderline applicants who may or may not have excelled at their interview." Who's to say that the girl in question is a borderline candidate? If your place were to be by someone who fibbed, you'd never know anyway and it'd still be your own doing for not being good enough at some stage and putting yourself in a position where you are on the borderline.

It isn't fair, but few things are. You've just got to push yourself so that you're seldom in a position where a hair is what separates you from obtaining your goal and missing it.

This is actually disgusting that people have to lie to get into med school, but thats not entirely the candidates fault and mostly to blame on the system, I remember at a mock interview they asked me what did I do at my work experience, and I said I just observed and learnt from the experience than actually doing anything (I wasn't allowed to talk to patients) and they told me that the answer was to weak and I should try and think (implying make up) of a story when I done something productive myself. I wouldn't really tell on the girl as if you asked most med students if they told a lie at their interview most of them will say they at least exaggerated the truth a little.

(Original post by Davidragon)
It's sad that competition drives people to these lengths, especially given the profession we wish to pursue. It's odd how people are attacking someone for wanting to do what on the surface appears to be the right thing. Under what twisted moral code code is snitching worse than lying your way into medical school? Are you going to do the same thing when you qualify and you see misconduct in you peers or even your seniors?

David, it's just the rush and madness to get into medical school that drives people to lie. I know many medics who shared their lies at some point once they got in, and they all happily laughed it off but still, they're not going to be useless doctors who are unable to maintain a sense of professionalism later on in their careers. Nearly all weren't total, outright liars; it was insanely exaggerated hyperbole.

And it's not a case regarding the tragedy that not all applicants are golden and shining with celestial auras emitting from every word they say and with everything they do, to get in. It was just the stress and the strategic plan some applicants made to get in - and there are some very smart plans. And once you get into medical school, nothing really matters about what steps you took to get in - a concept you can only comprehend once you get into medical school. I have more respect for those who deserved 100% their place in medical school, but you will, without a doubt, come across others where you're like, "how the hell did you get in?!".